Day One 2015 -Eric

Well we just spent our first day at the Women and Children’s Hospital. There have been some exciting changes since our last visit. The new oncology center has opened after several years of construction- it is really quite beautiful and well equipped. They even have a play room in the unit which is great to see. They also have several rooms which are devoted to the care of children post bone marrow transplant. The plan is that transplant will be done in the adult transplant facility (also a brand new program) and then transferred back to the children’s hospital for recovery. A scary thought since none of the current docs have any experience with transplant patients. I hope a plan will be developed for this transition. The other new and exciting thing is that starting in January, all the children with solid tumors, who are now taken care of at the National Cancer Center, will be cared for at the Children’s hospital. This is something we have been hoping to see for several years- but rather then a gradual transition, the plan now is for a complete change on January 1. The docs are excited but quite concerned as they have never taken care of any of these types of cancer nor do they know what the plan will be for more staff with a more then doubling of their patient volume. They are also very concerned about pathology support. It is both rewarding to see the small part we have played in helping to improve medical care for children here in Mongolia but also highlights the importance of keeping up our efforts to help. This makes me more determined then ever to develop a more structured exchange system where we can bring the young oncology staff as well as pathologists to the US for 1-2 month observerships as well as have more frequent and consistent consultation by our team about diagnosis and treatment.

To the Soud family- Jonathon’s legacy is clearly changing a small part of the world every day and thank you for letting us be a part of that legacy!

3 Comments

Claudia Germano

Steve Soud

And you’ve been a huge part of the work from the beginning, Eric! May the rest of this year’s mission be safe and productive, and when you return we can start mapping out a strategy for the exchange. We will need your help, Kerrie Slattery!

Karen Wolfson

We are thankful to the Soud Family for loving children and their families no matter where they may live in the world. We are thankful for our team led by Eric Sandler. Blessings to you all as you teach and learn each day of this trip.
The updates are the best, and thank you!